A Journey in the Dark
by Dawn N
Summary: Harper is blinded after he and Tyr are taken hostage on a routine mission, and the Nietzschean blames himself.


** Disclaimer: The characters of Andromeda are owned by Tribune Entertainment. No profit is being made. No harm intended. **  
  
** Note to Readers ** This story stands on its own. It is not apart of my alternate universe Andromeda stories: "Invictus", "I Am My Brother's Keeper", "Anathema", and forth coming, "In The Presence Of Mine Enemies".  
  
** Please, leave a review and let me know what you thought **  
  
A Journey in the Dark  
By Dawn Nyberg  
  
"Man, Tarsis really bites, Tyr." Harper groused.  
  
"We came here for a plasma inhibitor - not pleasure, Little Man."  
  
"Well, Dylan could have picked a better place. This outpost isn't a place you want to get caught down a dark alley in, ya know? I just want to get back to the Maru and leave this rock."  
  
"Stop your whining." Tyr leveled a hard look on the young engineer and turned back around heading toward the parts dealer. Harper made a face at Tyr's back in frustration. They turned a corner - the area seemed too quiet, too empty, it was ...  
  
"Well, well ... what do we have here?" A man stepped out from a barrier and was soon followed by seven other men that looked like some type of military guards. Tyr and Harper drew their Gauss guns. Everyone else obliged and drew theirs. "I believe you're at a disadvantage. Drop them or die."  
  
"Who the Hell are you?" Tyr gritted out - his tone low and dangerous.  
  
"Someone that will enjoy knocking a Nietzschean down a few notches."  
  
"You wouldn't last two minutes." Tyr countered.  
  
"Why, because I'm Human? Unless you haven't noticed I have the advantage right now. And what is this?" The man looked to Tyr's side at Harper. "You travel with a Human? Your slave, right?"  
  
"Hell No!" Harper spat out. Tyr rolled his eyes in frustration. It would have been better for the boy had they thought he was a slave he may have been let go, but not now.  
  
"We have seen the ship you arrived in. The Maru is registered to a Beka Valentine. I understand she is now joined with a Commonwealth do-gooder. We have heard of your Captain Hunt - trying to restore the Common wealth. That can't be permitted."  
  
"You might want to take that up with the El Capitan." Harper's voice was amused.  
  
Tyr grew tired of this a lunged for a guard. Something very hard came down on his head from behind and darkness swallowed him.  
  
Tyr slowly came to his senses - he was on a hard cold floor and the room was dim. He smelled blood - his own and someone else's ... Harper's. His head throbbed, but his nanobots were already hard at work. The injury would heal. "Harper?" Tyr sat up. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dim lighting. He saw a huddled figure on the wall. "Harper, are you okay?" He stood and approached the huddled figure.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"Look at me," Tyr's voice wasn't harsh, but it brooked no argument. Harper raised his head. His left cheek was bruised and there was dried blood around his nose and the corner of his mouth. Tyr noticed he had an arm gingerly wrapped around his ribs. He knelt down on bended knee. "Are any broken?" He made a tentative move to examine Harper's ribs.  
  
"Nah, I'm cool. Just sore. How's the head?" Harper motioned to Tyr.  
  
"Fine. Let me take a look at you." Harper resisted.  
  
"I'm not as fragile as you think big guy. I'm okay. What's with the Mother Hen routine, anyway?"  
  
"You're no good to me if you have broken ribs." Harper chuckled.  
  
"Always and forever a Nietzschean aren't you? I'm fine." Tyr nodded and stood up. Tyr approached the door to their cell - it was more like a dark, dank cage. He approached the bars and pulled at them and shook them.  
  
"Back away from the bars" a guard came from around the corner of the cell wall.   
  
"Go to Hell!"  
  
"This is your last warning. Back away from the bars. Now!"  
  
"Make me," Tyr growled.  
  
"You will be submissive."  
  
"I am Tyr Anasazi, Out of Victoria, by Barbarosa, and I will never be controlled. Do you understand me?!" The guard picked up a Com link and summoned four other guards. "Needed a fair fight?" Tyr's voice was mocking.  
  
"Not exactly." The guards that entered all pulled out Gauss guns and backed Tyr up into the cell. "Take him." Two more guards entered the cell and went for Harper. "Now, make one move and we'll kill him right here."  
  
"Let me go!" Harper kicked at the guards. A punch landed on his chin and his head snapped back. "Tyr!"  
  
The Nietzschean's muscles tensed. "Leave the boy alone."  
  
"I don't think so. You see we find it much more effective to punish him for your behavior. So, in short, you want to defy us ... he will pay the price. And because you've really pissed me off - I'm going to have some real fun with him." Tyr couldn't help himself he stepped forward quickly and knocked the man across the jaw before he was pulled off. "Now, that is really going to cost him." The man took his Gauss gun and slammed the butt into Tyr's stomach. They took Harper and left the Nietzschean.  
  
Meanwhile back on the Andromeda  
  
"They should have returned yesterday, Dylan." Beka's brow was furrowed.  
  
"I told them they had four days Beka to get the plasma inhibitor. Tarsis isn't known for being fair priced. I'm sure they'll have to barter. Don't worry so much." Dylan tried to reassure her, but in the back of his mind he was slightly concerned. Neither man wanted to go on the trip to Tarsis and Dylan knew they would get the business done and return quickly. In fact, he had expected them the same day they left. He would give them the remaining three days to complete the purchase - against his better judgment.   
  
Back on Tarsis   
  
Tyr sat against the wall. They had taken Harper over forty minutes ago. Suddenly, a scream that was more akin to a wail echoed down the corridor. Tyr recognized it as belonging to Harper. He fought every urge to get up and start screaming at the guards, but he didn't fearing more retaliation against the boy. He tried not to listen to the wails that never seemed to end - it didn't work. He heard every scream and wail. Finally, only silence existed in the corridor. Tyr watched the cell door, but he never heard returning footsteps of guards bringing back Harper.  
  
An Hour Later  
  
Tyr heard footsteps and he stood, but stayed to the back of the cell. He didn't want to appear aggressive. He saw Harper between them - his head hung down, his eyes closed, but he was supporting himself and walking with the guards. Perhaps, the pain was great and he kept his eyes closed to help concentrate and fight the discomfort. Tyr just wanted to know he was all right. Harper was an annoying Little Man, but he had to admit somewhere along the line he had developed a soft spot for the boy. The guards entered the cell slightly keeping an eye on Tyr. "Home sweet home," one guard said, and they released Harper. Tyr watched Harper reach behind himself immediately for the wall and followed it with his hand and turned his face toward it. He never spoke. He just hid his face in the wall and wouldn't face the Nietzschean.  
  
"Harper?" Tyr watched in concern. What had those bastards done to him? "Boy, look at me. It's okay."  
  
Harper still faced the wall and moved his hands ever so slightly along the wall following them until he reached a corner and buried his face once again. "Please, Harper. What did they do to you?"  
  
"I'm good, Big guy. Leave me alone okay. Give a guy a break." Harper's voice shook slightly. Despite his efforts to sound like the same old happy go lucky Harper - there was something wrong ... terribly wrong.  
  
Tyr watched Harper and spoke... his words unsure at first. "I'm sorry for what happened." Harper remained facing the wall, but spoke.  
  
"There's a history maker, Tyr Anasazi apologizes. Not your fault, Man. Don't sweat it."  
  
"Then look at me," Tyr urged. Harper's muscles tensed noticeably to the Nietzschean. "Look at me!" Harper spun around.  
  
"I can't look at you because I can't see you!" Harper yelled. Tyr caught a brief glimpse of Harper's eyes before he turned and faced the wall once again. They were covered with a white film that looked similar to someone on Flash, but he knew they had not used Flash on the boy.  
  
"No," came out of Tyr quietly. "Please ..." Harper's shoulders began to shake and Tyr knew he was crying. He watched as Harper's knees began to buckle, but Tyr caught him easily before he hit the cold ground. Harper fought him for a minute, but the Nietzschean held firm until he felt the boy relax against him. He pulled Harper across his lap and held him. They didn't speak for long moments. Tyr just held Harper as he cried and tried to quell the shivers that ran through his slight form. Finally he spoke, "We'll figure this out, okay? You'll be fine." The sobs continued and they tore at Tyr. "Please, Harper... Shh." He felt desperate to calm the boy to reassure him. This was his fault and the men that did this to Harper would pay - he silently vowed to himself.  
  
Harper had been quiet for sometime as Tyr held him. The Nietzschean had placed his chin atop Harper's head and remained silent. He waited for the boy to break the silence. Finally, he did, "Tyr?"  
  
"Yes, Little Man?" Harper didn't move in the Nietzschean's arms and Tyr still held him close.  
  
"If you see a chance to escape - do it, okay?"  
  
"I'm not leaving you."  
  
"I can't see, Tyr. Everything's black. I don't want to be a burden or get you killed."  
  
"I'll figure this out, Little Man. I'm not leaving you and that's final."  
  
"But..."  
  
"No, but... just rest a while." While Harper slept - Tyr was thinking, but he honestly did not know how they were going to get out of this one. Dylan wouldn't come looking for them for another three days. A small noise at the cell door brought his attention from his thoughts.  
  
"I want to help." There was a guard at the door, young and he was nervous. Tyr could smell it on him and he heard his accelerated heartbeat. Tyr gently moved Harper and let him curl up on the floor. He stood up and approached the cell door.  
  
"We don't need help from the likes of you. You're a guard."  
  
"Yes, but not like them. I guess you could call me a Commonwealth sympathizer. Look, they are all eating in the Mess area right now. It's your only chance for either of you." The young man looked casually over to the huddled sleeping form of Harper. "Let me help. I can get you out and get you to your ship. They haven't figured out your security code access to the ship yet."  
  
"If this is a double cross ..."  
  
"It's not. Come on. The window of opportunity isn't very big." With that Tyr woke Harper and he followed the young guard down a narrow passage way as Harper clung to his arm. "Look, your ship is through there. There aren't any guards there right now, go!" Tyr started to leave. "Wait, I have this for you."  
  
Tyr opened the package, "a plasma inhibitor?"  
  
"I was on the squad following you the night you were taken. I heard you mention you were here for one. Take it."  
  
Tyr nodded at the young man and ran across the holding area as quick as he could with Harper. They made their way onto the Maru and he was able to take off before any other company arrived. Tyr hit slipstream the moment the Maru was clear of the drift.  
  
"Captain Hunt, I detect slipstream activity. It's the Maru."  
  
"See, Beka. I told you they were fine."  
  
"So, you were right. Let's go meet them on the deck."  
  
Five Days Later  
  
The Medical Deck door opened and Anasazi stood there. Trance looked up. "Yes, Tyr?"  
  
"Where is Harper?" He looked at the empty bed.  
  
"Over here, Big Guy." Tyr looked toward the sound of Harper's voice. "Well, they still don't work, but Trance tells me they look back to normal. How do they look?" Harper pulled off a set of bandages so that the Nietzschean could see his eyes.  
  
"They look fine. The procedure... how did it go?" He had focused that question toward Trance.  
  
"There was a lot of damage to both optic nerves. The white film was a lot like scars on his corneas. He may get his sight back over time or not at all. I'm not sure."  
  
"Hey, no worries Trance darlin,' Harper was trying to be upbeat. "Hey, I'm gonna scoot, okay."  
  
"Harper, not without a droid to help you." The young engineer chuckled.  
  
"Great, a seeing-eye droid ... that takes the cake."  
  
Trance smiled at Harper's statement, but her heart ached for him.  
  
"Gotta go. I've been cooped up in here since we got back." He grabbed onto the droid as a guide and quickly left.  
  
Tyr had said nothing further to Harper before he left. He turned his attention back to Trance. "Is he okay?"  
  
"He acts like it isn't bothering him."  
  
"Will he get his sight back?"  
  
"I hope so. Anything is possible." Tyr nodded and left. He wanted to find where Harper was headed.  
  
"Andromeda?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Locate Harper."  
  
"Locating... Observation Deck."  
  
The doors to the OBS deck opened. He saw Harper sitting down with his head in his hands. "What are you doing here, Tyr?"  
  
"How did you know it was me?"  
  
"Just a guess."  
  
"What's going on Harper?"  
  
"Thinking."  
  
"About?"  
  
"About, when I'm going to be given the boot."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Come on, I'm the ships engineer an engineer that is blind as a bad. I can't see to work. I can't pull my own weight."  
  
"No one is going to ask you to leave."  
  
"No, but I should."  
  
"Harper, use that brain of yours." Tyr flicked him lightly in the head with a finger. "You know this ship inside and out... blind or not. What you can't fix yourself you can tell one of us how."  
  
"You sure have a lot of faith in me. When did that happen?"  
  
"You earned it. You've never let he crew down when you were really needed."  
  
"Man, you feelin' all right?"  
  
"I'm fine. Now, you've had your five minutes of feeling sorry for yourself. Now, it's time to snap out of it."  
  
"Now, there's the Tyr I know and love." Harper chuckled. Tyr just growled quietly and ruffled Harper's hair.  
  
"Come on, Boy. Let's get some food into you. Everyone is waiting for you."  
  
"Yeah-yeah."  
  
Tyr directed Harper to a chair and he sat down at the table with everyone. "Smells good, guys." Harper tried to sound up beat. Tyr took the seat next to him. Beka watched Seamus and her heart ached. "I can..." Tyr raised his hand to her.  
  
"Little Man, your food is in front of you. Picture a clock - your meat is at 12, your vegetable is at 10 and it looks like the food synthesizer made some kind of bread product, and its at your 6. Your utensils are on your right and your drink is at 2 above your utensils. Okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I think I've got it." Harper actually allowed himself to smile, but it was small. "Thanks."  
  
"Eat." Tyr's voice wasn't gruff or unkind and everyone watched as Harper began to eat.  
  
Dinner had gone well. Everyone couldn't help, but watch Harper. Tyr kept giving them stern looks. Harper went for the fork he had placed down, but he clipped it and it fell on the floor.  
  
"I'll get it," Beka was quick to say.  
  
"I'll get it," Harper's voice was angry. He bent over in his seat and felt around on the floor. "I can get my own damn fork!" Tyr was quiet in his actions as he scooted the fork closer to Harper's searching hand and the young man found it. "Got it."  
  
The table was quiet. "I'm sorry, Beka. I shouldn't have said what I did."  
  
"It's okay, honey. I know you didn't mean it." Harper offered a small smile and returned to his food. Everyone was looking a Tyr now - all of them trying to figure out when Tyr Anasazi had become so caring. Dylan was both pleased and perplexed at how the Nietzschean was handling Harper and his blindness.  
  
  
Three Days Later  
  
Harper slid the jack into his neck port and entered Andromeda. "Hey, there sweet thing." Harper talked to the visual of Andromeda. "This is kinda freaky - I can't see a lick out there, but in here I can. Now, what seems to be the problem?"  
  
"My AI frame is getting surges."  
  
"Not a problem," Harper quickly fixed the problem internally. "There you go. All better." Harper looked around the mainframe once more and left the computer. Being able to see inside the computer was both a saving grace and a curse - it only reminded him of the darkness that waited in the real world. He went to bed that night with an annoying headache. The pain finally woke him in the early hours - everything on the ship was still quiet. He got up and absently called out to Andromeda, "lights," it was a habit hard to break. But, he didn't expect the blinding light that made him slam his eyes shut. "Lights, off!" he practically yelled. The slow realization finally settled over him - he saw the light.  
  
"Andromeda, 50% lights." The light in his quarters came on dimly. Things weren't completely clear, but he was seeing. He could tell shapes and he knew where objects were, but he still couldn't really see them. He held his own hand up in front of his eyes and he saw the movement and the shape of it. Things were in a thick haze, but compared to nothing this was everything. He couldn't believe his own eyes. He threw on some cloths, "Andromeda, could you dim all ship corridor lights?"  
  
"Dimmed. Harper what are you up to?"  
  
"Nothing, darling."  
  
He made his way to the Observation deck. It was always dim in there. He walked to the window and saw the vastness of space. He turned and sat down - letting his eyes adjust to the little bit of light there was. He squinted his eyes against it - he knew it was the weeklong darkness that had made them so sensitive to light. He just sat and tried to convince himself this wasn't some wonderful dream he would wake up from and realize he still couldn't see. In the dimness he had trouble making things out in the thick haze, but once he eyes grew accustomed to light he was sure he could at least move around some places without the droid. After all he had got here without it. Maybe Tyr was right, he did know this ship inside and out, blind or not. And now, he could see, even if just a little.  
  
Tyr woke up for his early morning run around the Andromeda before everyone woke up. He rounded the corner of the corridor near the Observation deck and noticed it was open. He slowed his pace slightly and saw Harper sitting in there by himself. "Harper?"  
  
"Hey, doing that insane workout of yours?" Harper didn't look at Tyr, but stood and walked toward the window of the OBS deck. He was afraid to turn around - afraid the dream would end.  
  
"Are you all right? It's early. Where's your droid? How did you get here?"  
  
"Wow, what's with the twenty questions. I left the droid back in my quarters. And I got here like everyone else does - I walked."  
  
"You sure you're okay?" Harper turned and looked at a dark formless figure against the backlight of the corridor.  
  
"Yeah, the best I've been in a while." Tyr watched Harper's eyes.  
  
"Harper, you're looking at me. Do you see me?"  
  
"Well, they're not 100%, but yeah, I can make out your figure." Harper laughed as the truth finally settled on him. He was getting his eyesight back. The procedure Trance had done was beginning to work. He only hoped this wasn't the best it would ever be, but it was better than seeing nothing.  
  
Tyr chuckled out loud. "That's my Boy!" He was glad that Harper's journey in the dark seemed to be coming through on the other side - the alternative was unthinkable. The Old Seamus Harper was making a return and things very beginning to feel right again.  
  
The End 


End file.
